News in brief

European Voice

1/21/09, 5:00 PM CET

Updated 4/12/14, 5:11 PM CET

Toilet cover-up

Part of a Czech artwork that depicts Bulgaria as a ‘squat’ toilet has been covered up, at the request of the Bulgarian government. A Czech official covered the Bulgarian part of the installation in the Justus Lipsius building with a black sheet on Tuesday (20 January) after “intensive talks” with Bulgaria.

Germany VAT change

Germany signalled that it is prepared to end its opposition to reduced VAT rates in the EU. Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück said on Tuesday that Germany was prepared to consider allowing reduced VAT rates in “a very limited number” of sectors. The European Commission has proposed extending the system that allows countries to levy VAT below the 15% standard rate in some sectors, which is due to expire in 2010.

Pipeline challenge

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdog?an has threatened to review his government’s support for the planned Nabucco pipeline if EU member states block the energy chapter in Turkey’s accession talks with the EU. He said in Brussels on Monday (19 January) that Cyprus was putting pressure on other member states to make sure that the energy chapter would not be opened. Nabucco is an EU-backed project to bring Caspian gas through Turkey to markets in Europe.

Schengen IT problems

The Czech presidency said on 15 January that a major upgrade of the EU’s Schengen Information System may have to be abandoned because of technical problems. €28 million has already been spent from the EU budget on the upgrade, which will allow the system to store biometric data. Member states have also spent millions on it from their national budgets. Czech Interior Minister Ivan Langer says a final decision on whether or not to abandon the upgrade will be taken in May.

Milking it

Unspent agricultural money should be used to help dairy farmers cope with low prices, the European Commission is expected to propose next week. Farm Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel told agriculture ministers on Monday (19 December) that some farms could be forced into liquidation. Her proposal would have to be approved by member states and the European Parliament.